An author and illustrator from Colyton has released a new childrens book on the topic of buses. 

'The Bus Crew' is set in the late 1950s has been produced by friends, author Barrie Hedges and illustrator Mike Illsley. The book is dedicated to a third friend David Wilder who has a lifelong fascination for the buses run by Realiance Motor Services in Berkshire. The bus characters are based on real vehicles from the era when rural buses made the coutryside work. 

Barrie Hedges from Colyton always grew up around buses. His family ran the small bus company that inspired this book. His dad was the chief engineer. Barrie never actually worked on the buses himself but often wishes he had. Instead Barrie grew up to be a newspaper reporter in Newbury and devoted much of his working life to writing in one form or another. 

Mike Ilsley, illustrator for the book is a retired primary school headteacher and advisor who has always drawn in coloued pencil both for fun and many years ago for profit. He spends his retirement on the allotment and in his studio trying to increase his skills in linocutting and undertaking whatever art projects comes his way.

Barrie Hedges told the Herald: "We only made a handful of copies of the Bus Crew, which parents in Colyton can contact us if they would like a copy, we published this book in 2022 and we are looking to get a publisher next year so we can carry the book forward."

"The book is dedicated to David, who is very impressed by it but it is also surprising the response we have had from it.

"We advertised and launched the book on Facebook and shared the book with local bus enthusiasts who were exicited to read the new book. We only have a handful of books at the moment but we would like to explore the possibility of publishing the book. We also have some copies available for local children."

To date, they have only produced five copies but if interest is sufficient they will commission a full print run early in 2023.